One day, I promise to cease banging on in regards to the marvels of HDR (also called excessive dynamic vary) and why it is best to actually begin fascinated with upgrading your PC monitor as a way to benefit from its vibrant, life-like colors, elevated brightness and normal loveliness. Until then, nevertheless, I’ve received BenQ’s EW277HDR monitor to have a gander at, which could simply be the best monitor for HDR on a budget I’ve seen thus far.
Priced at simply £166 / $230, the BenQ EW277HDR could be very a lot on the different finish of the HDR monitor spectrum, particularly in comparison with one thing like Nvidia’s all-singing, all-dancing G-Sync HDR displays such because the soon-to-be-released Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ and Acer Predator X27. These $1000-2000 displays are all about getting the perfect out of all the pieces HDR has to supply, particularly its unbelievable brightness vary, with each panels capable of attain an enormous 1000cd/m2, and its large color gamut help. In essence, they’re the monitor equal of in the present day’s Ultra HD Premium TVs.
The EW277HDR, however, has much more modest ambitions. With a claimed max brightness of simply 400cd/m2, this isn’t a monitor that’s going to blow you away with its astonishing distinction, localised highlights and simultaneous deep, inky blacks. But that’s all proper, to be sincere. Firstly, you’re paying a couple of tenth of what the Asus PG27UQ is presently rumoured to value, so to count on something extra could be churlish. Secondly, that is nonetheless a rattling handsome monitor and a heck of loads brighter than a lot of the different non-HDR displays you are likely to see at this type of value.
Indeed, the EW277HDR’s most important power comes from doing the color gamut little bit of HDR actually nicely, placing it means out in entrance of different sub-£200 displays that don’t help HDR. In truth, BenQ say the EW277HDR’s DCI-P3 color gamut protection goes past that of high-end TVs – 93%, to be exact, in comparison with an Ultra HD Premium TV’s required 90% – giving you an identical wealthy, punchy colors as a kind of Nvidia G-Sync HDR screens with out forcing you to spend an absolute fortune on a flashier panel.
The EW277HDR’s devoted HDR button can be utilized to emulate HDR for non-HDR content material.
This bore out in testing, too, even when HDR wasn’t enabled. Using the EW277HDR’s Standard color profile and the Reddish color temperature setting, my X-Rite Display i1 Pro calibrator confirmed it will probably show a powerful 99.8% of the usual sRGB color gamut and 91.9% of the DCI-P3 gamut when set to most brightness (which measured about 340cd/m2 in keeping with my i1 Pro).
I noticed just about similar outcomes once I switched to its User profile and began adjusting its particular person RGB values as nicely, so that you don’t even need to spend ages fiddling round with the settings to get the most effective image. Even higher, the EW277HDR maintained these figures once I dropped the brightness right down to a way more eye-friendly 200cd/m2 (round 50% on the brightness slider), so you’ll be able to nonetheless get a handsome picture whereas saving your eyeballs.
The monitor’s black ranges had been respectable as nicely, coming in at 0.11cd/m2 no matter color profile. Its VA panel additionally put in efficiency over within the distinction ratio division as nicely, coming in at 2877:1 when utilizing Standard and 3102:1 on User. That’s just about bang on BenQ’s claimed 3000:1, give or take a bit.
All that’s fairly excellent for a monitor that prices lower than £200 / $250, and it means you don’t need to have HDR enabled to get the most effective image, both. Regular SDR (or customary dynamic content material) will look simply nearly as good with out it, though you’ll be able to all the time use the monitor’s devoted HDR button to assist ’emulate’ the impact of HDR on SDR content material if you happen to don’t fancy faffing round with the settings in Windows 10.
Admittedly, Windows 10’s relatively patchy help for desktop-based HDR makes it troublesome for me to run my assessments with HDR switched on (even with the enhancements included within the newest April replace), so that you’ll need to take my phrase for it that colors nonetheless look fairly nice when enjoying HDR-supported video games comparable to Final Fantasy XV and Far Cry 5. Indeed, once I plonked my calibrator onto a pleasant solar flare in Far Cry 5, I measured a peak white degree of 410cd/m2, going simply past what BenQ quote on the field.
That’s an honest bounce from what you’d get with out HDR turned on, however as I hinted above, the general impact isn’t completely mind-blowing, and possibly isn’t a lot of a step up from what you’ve received now – a minimum of not in comparison with Nvidia’s G-Sync HDR monitor with their 384 dynamic backlight zones that actually let highlights sing out in opposition to darker areas of the display.
There’s additionally a noticeable quantity of halo-ing occurring at sure factors with the EW277HDR, significantly while you’ve received white textual content on a darkish background. This can typically spoil the impact of the monitor’s elevated brightness, however on the entire it’s one thing I’m very happy to place up with contemplating the worth.
That mentioned, there are different drawbacks to the EW277HDR that I’m much less eager to let slide, particularly its 1920×1080 decision. Normally, I wouldn’t suggest going for 1080p on a 27in monitor, because the pixel density on a display of this measurement begins to look a bit small while you’ve solely received 1920×1080 pixels to play with, leading to jagged edges in textual content and desktop icons. It’s high quality for probably the most half, however all the pieces is simply fuzzy sufficient to make you second guess whether or not you want one other journey to the opticians. Personally, I’d usually suggest a 2560×1440 decision on a 27in monitor, however you then’re paying much more for the privilege.
Windows 10’s new April replace brings enormous enhancements to desktop-based HDR because of its new brightness slider, but it surely solely works with supported apps, which doesn’t embrace Chrome…
As 27in 1080p displays go, although, it’s definitely much more enticing than my present prime advice on this class, the Philips 273V5LHAB. With its slim bezels and sensible (albeit mounted) stand, the EW277HDR is the clear winner when it comes to design, and BenQ’s multitude of eye-care options make it, fairly actually, loads simpler on the eyes with regards to prolonged use.
You not solely get 4 totally different blue-light filters and a flicker-free panel, however you additionally get the good thing about BenQ’s Brightness Intelligence+ sensor that robotically adjusts the display’s ambient brightness and color temperature all through the day to assist cut back eye pressure as a lot as doable. Enabling these modes will naturally end in a slight hit to the monitor’s color accuracy, however you’ll in all probability thank your self in twenty years time when your eyes are now not staring out of shriveled husks like everybody else.
Ports-wise, I’d have appreciated to have seen a DisplayPort right here, however alas, all you get are two HDMI 2.Zero inputs and a single VGA, plus separate headphone and audio line in jacks. That’s nonetheless completely acceptable, after all, and greater than sufficient to cater for the EW277HDR’s decision and 60Hz refresh price, however a bit extra selection wouldn’t have damage.
Minor flaws apart, the BenQ EW277HDR is a improbable monitor for the cash, and it’s positively price contemplating if you happen to’re in search of a decent-sized display with excellent image high quality that doesn’t value the earth. It’s positively the most effective 27in 1080p monitor I’ve seen thus far because of its excellent color accuracy throughout each the sRGB and DCI-P3 gamuts, and as such supplants the Philips 273V5LHAB as my prime advice for this specific spec.
Its HDR can also be miles higher than BenQ’s dearer EL2870U, however I have to shut with a phrase of warning that these after a ‘proper’ HDR expertise, full with all these beautiful eye-searing highlights and simultaneous patches of shadow, will possible nonetheless be disillusioned with the EW277HDR because of its comparatively low peak brightness.
Yes, lumping funds screens just like the EW277HDR in the identical ‘HDR’ bracket because the Nvidia G-Sync HDR-enabled Acer Predator X27 and Asus PG27UQ is simply possible to get extra complicated within the coming months as each monitor man and his canine begins to money in on PC gaming’s newest buzzword. As lengthy as you don’t go in anticipating a cosmic shift in total impression, although, then the EW277HDR is by far one of many higher locations to begin in search of a lift in color accuracy, and is unquestionably a a lot better use of your cash than the EL2870U. It comes extremely really helpful.
